


Someone to Stay

by that_one_urchin



Series: Healthy Habits [1]
Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Plants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27523486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_one_urchin/pseuds/that_one_urchin
Summary: Josie likes plants. Hope likes her.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Series: Healthy Habits [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2011642
Comments: 19
Kudos: 323





	Someone to Stay

“Jo?”

Josie digs her nails hard into her palms and tries to fixate her gaze on the dusty floor below her, so as to keep herself from lashing out again. A little over a month has passed since she took an axe to her evil subconscious, and yet the darkness still manages to slip through. It’s frustrating. She thought that she would be better by now, back to her normal life and her pastel-colored wardrobe, but no amount of deep breathing with Lizzie and Dad or counseling sessions can untangle the mess of emotions she feels.

_Anger. Guilt. Fury._ She had been in class, sitting next to Alyssa Chang (her first mistake), trying to engage in non-murdery, friendly conversation (her second mistake), when Josie had snapped.

She didn’t mean to.

She _never_ means to.

One rude, offhanded comment from Alyssa about Josie’s mental state was all it took for her to burn through her notebook and accidentally melt half of the desk.

( _Anger. Guilt. Fury. Rage—_ )

“Josie?” Hope’s voice is familiar. Soft. Not spiteful or patronizing, but _soft_. She never handles Josie with kid-gloves or treats her like a monster either.

It’s nice.

Josie runs her finger over one of the flower pots once she is sure she won’t accidentally burn it and ruin some poor kid’s work. Some of the younger students have started trying to grow a few things in the school’s greenhouse. Flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Nothing too major. Josie has fond memories of helping to plant tomatoes and rose bushes when she was much younger. Something about it all is very soothing for her, being able to create and nurse life. Plus, the kids love her. Children are more forgiving than teens, apparently, and are still cool with her joining in on their classes as long as she brings chocolate and promises not to ‘dress like Darth Vader’ again.

She promises. She also grows them all pumpkins for Halloween and cuts the jack-o’-lanterns, too.

“I’m sorry.” Josie breathes a heavy sigh and bites her bottom lip when she realizes she isn’t entirely sure what she’s apologizing for. For being so… _broken_? That has to be someone’s fault.

Hope rounds the greenhouse, looking clearly out of her element. Josie doubts that Hope has spent much time here. Hope hates children.

“What’s this one’s name?”

She has to lift her head an inch to see what Hope is referring to, which is a bit of a challenge since Josie has kept to a strict policy of no eye contact, chin-to-chest posture. Hope is on her tippy toes, lightly tapping one of the plants. It’s up high on a tall ledge, along with the others that typically need to get more sunlight to thrive.

Lavender.

“Cecilia.” Josie informs her, feeling warm at the curious smile growing on Hope’s mouth.

Hope hums and taps another. “And this one?”

“Mark.”

“How about the green one?”

“Davey.”

“This one?”

“Ariel.”

Her fingers trace a pink flower. “What about this one?”

“Princess Bubblegum.” Josie responds, ducking her head again, this time out of embarrassment. She’s sure she’s blushing. Hope looks at her so, _so_ fondly sometimes, that Josie— “Pedro named that one.”

Both Pedro _and_ Josie named it, actually, but that isn’t something that Hope needs to know.

By this time, Hope has already done a full circle around the greenhouse. She ends her lap right next to Josie and saddles up behind her, slipping her arms around Josie’s waist with little to no hesitation.

Josie inhales. Holds it. Exhales.

Her breath feels hot, like fire, but it doesn’t burn quite the same. It’s warm. It’s more comfortable than dangerous, something Josie isn’t very used to. Her flame is usually destructive. _She’s_ usually destructive. As much as everyone likes to label Lizzie as the ‘bad sister’, Josie doesn’t think that title is going to stick. At least, not when Lizzie is getting better and Josie is… she’s just…

Josie inhales. Holds it. Exhales.

(And it’s not that Josie wants people to think of Lizzie as a bad person, it’s just that she’s still not used to walking the halls and being seen as the villain. It’s just that—)

“And this one?” Hope whispers. God. When had she gotten so close?

Now, Hope has her attention on the potted plant in front of them both. It’s not much of a plant. Just dirt and a little, dark green sprout.

“I don’t know. I’m trying not to get attached.” She explains, a bit shyly. Trying and failing. It’s a cute plant, okay? Josie is going through some things, but it’s _one_ adorable leaf is still able to warm her heart almost as much as Hope taking an interest in her hobbies does. “It’s too soon to see if it will live or not.”

Maybe Josie will try to take an interest in Hope’s hobbies. Painting? Howling at the moon?

“I think it’ll live.”

She shakes her head and hates the fact that she feels the need to be pessimistic about this small detail. “It’s too soon to tell.”

Hope is silent for another minute or so. Josie is in no rush to return to class or tell Hope to go. She is perfectly content with having Hope hold her. It has been a while since anyone has just _held her_ , which sounds a bit pathetic in her head, but Josie can’t help but relish the feeling of being taken care of.

The feeling barely lasts.

It’s more than she deserves. She was _awful_. She almost killed Hope, just last month.

Josie tries to shift away, but Hope only tightens her grip, perhaps sensing Josie’s incoming guilt. Hope goes as far as to interlock their fingers, all previous qualms about physical affection thrown out the window.

Honestly, Josie doesn’t know what to do with the kindness. She’s destructive. She doesn’t deserve it _or_ Hope.

_She’s destructive._

“You’re not.” Hope insists firmly. Oh. Had Josie said that aloud?

Hope takes their joined hands and moves them to the pot, sinking their interlocked fingers into the cool dirt. The soil is soft and moves easily, no resistance stopping them from cupping the plant beneath its sprout. Hope’s hands are warm and firm against her own, a stark contrast from the delicate roots brushing their palms. Josie swears that she feels some form of a heartbeat, a gentle thud of life beneath it all. A faint, red light glows familiarly through the dirt, and Hope whispers a quiet, secret spell against Josie’s sweater-clad shoulder until the sprout begins to grow.

Slowly, it crawls up further from the soil and curls in the air. It’s blooming and colorful and _alive_.

Without warning, Josie’s eyes well up with tears, her vision clouding. It’s been so long since she’s felt this way.

_Safe_.

“Go ahead and name it.” Hope instructs, winding their fingers together tighter. “I think it’ll be okay.”


End file.
